Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category:
Giant Manta Ray Fish
This is truly the giant among 1. rays, the biggest living species and one of the so-called devil rays. Apart from its size, it is distinguished by strange paddle-like fins or lobes projecting from the front of its body, with the eyes on either side. These lobes look threatening, but are merely scoops that the ray unfurls when feeding, to direct food into its large, rectangular mouth. Giant mantas feed mainly on plankton - floating organisms - and some schooling fish. In spite of their size, they sometimes leap out of the water; this may be part of their courtship ritual, which is known to involve one or more males chasing a female for up to 30 minutes before mating.
Scientific name : Manta birostris
Classification : Order Myliobatiformes (great rays); sometimes included in Rajiformes
Family : Myliobatidae; sometimes placed in separate family Mobulidae
Size : Up to 8m (26ft) wide and possibly up to 3 tonnes
Distribution : Worldwide in tropical and subtropical seas
Habitat : Surface waters, mainly near shores and reefs, but also in open ocean
Diet : Mainly plankton; some small and medium-sized fish
Reproduction : Ovoviviparous; one or two young; gestation period uncertain
Smalltooth or Greater Sawfish
Sawfishes are instantly recognizable by their long, toothed rostrum, or snout - the Saw which they use to stun prey and stir up the seabed when feeding. In other ways they look more like sharks than rays, but the position of the gills and mouth (see opposite) shows that they belong among the rays. The smalltooth sawfish is one of the biggest species, with 24 to 32 pairs of teeth on its saw. It used to be common in many areas, including the western Atlantic and Gulf coast, but like several other sawfishes is now seriously endangered. It was often caught in fishing nets, and its sword was (and still is) collected as a souvenir and for its supposed magical powers.
Scientific name : Pristis pectinate
Classification : Order Pristiformes (sawfishes)
Family : Pristidae
Size : Up to 7.5m (25ft) long including saw, but 5.5m (18ft) more common
Distribution : Worldwide (but rare) in tropical and temperate waters
Habitat : Mainly shallow coastal waters and estuaries; sometimes enters rivers
Diet : Schooling fish; bottom-living invertebrates
Reproduction : Ovoviviparous; 15-20 young, born with soft saw in protective sheath